


Picking up the pieces

by Jackeline Harkness (Jackeline_Harkness), shadowolfhunter



Series: The Zauberbiest Files [1]
Category: Grimm (TV)
Genre: Cousins, M/M, nick gets a shock, somebody stands up for Sean for a change, zauberbiester
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-24
Updated: 2015-11-25
Packaged: 2018-04-27 20:49:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5063617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jackeline_Harkness/pseuds/Jackeline%20Harkness, https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowolfhunter/pseuds/shadowolfhunter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sean Renard has a horrible, evil, creepy and insane paternal family... On the maternal side... Things are different... At least they're not Royal....</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Acorns

Sean dropped his keys on the sideboard and reached for the decanter. He looked at the level of the whisky and frowned, he was going to have to start cutting back. But it was an easy way of calming himself, since alcohol and officers went together like blood and vampires, he really needed to get a grip.

He poured himself a generous measure. Then grimaced at the obvious justification, he’d stop tomorrow.

_And tomorrow, and tomorrow, lead on from…_

The doorbell rang.

Sean placed the tumbler of untouched whisky carefully on the tray and turned towards his entry phone.

No one came to his door without some trouble being attached to their visit, and he supposed he was resigned to that by now, but there was still a twinge in the area he imagined he called his heart.

He pressed the button, just as his visitor turned to the camera and looked up. “Come on Sean… I know you’re in there.”

Sean’s eyes widened in disbelief, and he hurried to the door, attempting to keep a grip on his dignity.

He wrenched the door open.

“Christopher!”

The blond giant turned, a wide grin splitting his face, “SEAN!” surging in for the hug, nearly knocking Renard off his feet.

Sean wrapped his arms around his cousin. Heart pounding, for a good reason for once. He flinched a little as his cousin’s strong embrace impacted on some of his bruises.

Christopher Lascelles felt the flinch, and he was a zauberbiest, he could read his cousin’s emotional state, the arms that wrapped around him held him tight. Tighter than he would have expected his reserved cousin would have normally done.

So it was bad. His aunt was right...

He continued the embrace, letting Sean break away at his own pace. Slapping his younger cousin’s well-shaped, muscular derriere as he moved back.

“So.” He looked around him. The house was exactly what he expected, from what he could see, which rather made things worse. “How are you?”

Sean looked away from his handsome cousin’s intense blue-eyed gaze. “Fine. It’s all good.”  
That patently wasn’t the real truth, but Chris let it slide for the time being.

“Are you here for long?”

Chris grinned, “for as long as you’ll have me.” He tried not to read too much into the relief in Sean’s expression.

“As long as you’re likely to stay in one place.” Sean smiled, and Chris was relieved to see that his smile looked more natural.

Sean pulled his cousin over the threshold. There were two people he trusted completely without any reserve, his mother and his cousin, Christopher. Despite all the issues, and his fears for Nick and the shaky situation he was in, despite his need to move on, for the first time in months, Sean felt grounded.


	2. Making Mischief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris gets the gist of Sean's distressing story and resolves to get his cousin back on the horse.

Three days and Chris had managed to worm the worst of Sean's secrets out of his younger cousin. Seeing how distressed Sean actually was, despite some fairly obvious (for Sean) attempts to cover, convinced the zauberbiest that it was time to put one of his more outrageous plans into action.

[][][][][]

Sean didn’t need to lift his eyes from his book to know who it was opening his door and letting himself into his bedroom, moving with the freedom of a King at his own palace and the grace of a big cat. He decided to ignore his cousin, up until the moment when Chris just went and straddled his thighs. Slowly, he lowered his book, taking his time to mark the page and put it down on the night table.

“What are you doing?” he asked his cousin, who seemed to be quite comfortable perched on Sean's lap.

The blond didn’t say a word. Instead, he just smirked and, with that mischievous glint in his eyes that Sean knew meant only trouble, took his t-shirt off in a single movement.

It had been a few years since the last time they’d seen each other, and Sean couldn’t help the way his eyes scanned the blond’s now muscular torso in a single up and down swipe.

“We used to play together as children,” Sean said, his tone too amused to be real diplomacy.

Chris leaned forward, pressing his chest to Sean’s body, until their noses almost touched.

“So play with me now,” he said against his mouth, his voice low. Then, he closed the tiny space between them, sealing his mouth to Sean’s lips. Chris leaned forward, resting more of his weight on the Captain’s body as his tongue demanded entrance… but Sean’s lips remained firm against his. “Come on, Sean.”

Sean only tolerated the one-sided kiss for a few more seconds, before turning his head to the side and leaving Chris’ lips pressed to his jaw.

“What’s wrong?”

“You’re my cousin,” Sean said.

Chris huffed a laugh.

“As if our ancestors hadn’t mated with their cousins, nieces, aunts, sisters and what have you.”

“Those were other places, and other times. It was the Middle Ages!”

“Still,” Chris protested, tugging on Sean’s pyjama top, totally not pouting.

“And I believe that was done mostly so our kind didn’t go extinct when the Grimms started burning us at the stake,” Sean said, grabbing Chris' wrist so his hand stopped trying to slowly get Sean's shirt off.

The blond gave him a look, then a quick peck to the lips and, with a sigh, he rolled off of Sean, landing next to him and moving like a tiger to make himself comfortable, fingers laced behind his head.

“You’re no fun.”

“I do have fun.”

“Lies,” he said, rising himself on an elbow. “Look at yourself! You live in this place that looks like something out of one of those catalogues, more like a mausoleum for the living by the way, and you’re in bed at nine, on a Friday night, reading about… the quiet revolution of wesen society in Eastern Europe during the eighties,” he finished in a mocking tone as he leaned over him to check the title of the book he’d been reading. “God, Sean, it’s like you’re dead inside and just haven’t heard the news!”

He could have kicked himself then, because there was a flash of very real pain on Sean's face, but the younger zauber said evenly, "Just because some of us choose not to sleep around with men just to spite every hexenbiest that wants you as their offspring’s father, doesn’t mean that other lifestyles are boring.”

Chris stared at him.

“How old are you, again?” He sprung out of bed, pulling the covers off of Sean. “Come on. Get up, get dressed.”

“What?”

“Yes, we’re going out. If you’re not going to have some fun with me, then you’ll go with me while I try to find my fun elsewhere.”

Sean rolled his eyes at his cousin, muttering something about finding trouble or worse things instead of fun, but he got out of bed and let Chris push him towards his closet to select his clothes.

Sean paused for a second, unbuttoning his pyjama top, then pulled his closet doors open, all too aware of his cousin hovering at his shoulder.

“Oh… my god.”

Sean rolled his eyes a little.

A big, strong hand landed on his shoulder and squeezed. “It seems that I’ve arrived just in time.” Chris nudged his cousin aside and started to rifle through Sean’s wardrobe.

“In time for what?” Now Sean was genuinely curious.

“In time to prevent you turning into your father.” Chris plucked a suit from the rack in front of him, “Sean… really?” He gestured to the grey suit. “this, I’ve seen on Frederick.” He put it back in the closet, “where are your having-fun clothes?”

“Having-fun clothes?” Sean parroted.

Chris waved a hand, “good-time-party-boy clothes, something other than a suit that makes you look like a…” he flipped his hand, “croque-mort?”

“Mortician.” Sean scowled. “As you well know. That suit is perfectly acceptable business attire.”

“Can we get back to the matter in hand? Party… you know. Party, to go out and have fun, with the prospect of more fun afterwards.” Chris was rummaging through Sean’s entire wardrobe. With a sigh, Sean let him.

“Ah… we may be onto something.” Chris lunged into the back area where Sean hung clothes he almost never wore, but wasn’t quite ready to get rid of.

“These,” Chris pulled a pair of skinny black jeans from their hanger and thrust another hanger at his cousin, “put those on.”

Sean took the jeans, and the shirt; the shirt was silk, and a very bright shade of teal, one which he remembered Mia buying for him, so he’d kept it out of a little sentiment and also because he really hadn’t wanted to offend her.

The Captain usually stuck to blue and lilac, two shades he was comfortable with, together with a few striped and checked shirts, eye-catching in their impeccableness, but otherwise formal and somewhat forgettable. The silk shirt was jewel bright, and stood out too much.

Knowing that Chris wouldn’t be satisfied until he had given in, Sean put the shirt on, and turned to check out his appearance in the mirror.

Sean wasn’t a vain man, but he also wasn’t stupid he knew he was attractive, he was well aware that the teal colour of the shirt went well with his tanned skin, and emphasised the greenness of his eyes, the jeans showed the length of his lean muscular legs.

"I'm so good." Chris dropped a hand on Sean's shoulder, and grinned at their combined reflections in the mirror. "Ready to take this town." He pushed Sean's seldom-worn but expensive leather jacket into his cousin's hands and began to herd Sean to the door.

Sean sighed, it was barely four months after Jack, he resisted the urge to say "take it where?" and followed his party-loving cousin out of the door.


	3. Testing the Waters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sean Renard's cousin Chris has a plan. Sean might not like it, and Nick will probably like it even less, but this is for Sean's own good...

It was incredibly hot in the club, and Chris was pleased to see that his cousin was starting to relax, and enjoy himself. The Captain would probably put it down to the several beers that he had consumed, Chris knew that it was a mixture of alcohol, and the very mild zaubertrank that Chris had slipped into his cousin’s first drink.

Sean was only 42 not dead yet, Chris wanted to see his younger cousin happy, safe and able to pursue the life he desired.

Chris would do anything to make that happen, and protect Sean. He’d been away a long time, too long apparently; now Sean needed to know that his cousin was there for him and on his side.

And, Chris was curious. Sean had let slip quite a lot of information about his Grimm, too much to be mere coincidence. Chris wanted to see this young paragon. See if he made the grade. See if he would give Sean the support he needed, if they would be good for each other.

[][][][][]

The plan was perfectly simple, or so it seemed to Hank and Monroe. Nick needed a night out, maybe get him thinking about other things. Bud thought it was too soon, but Monroe wanted to push his friend forward a little. In the end it was Hank, Wu, Nick, Monroe and Rosalee. Perhaps a little heavy on the male presence, but Adalind refused, and Hank couldn’t really blame her.

The club was so crowded forward progress was almost impossible, but Hank was a veteran of such places, and he expertly forged a path for them. They reached the bar, Nick stopped and turned around taking in the whole place. There were stairs up and stairs down, the club being on three levels, with two dance floors, and curtained areas, Nick thought it was all very overdone, as he turned to speak to Hank, he glanced up, and froze.

Blue eyes met green, even though Sean Renard was twenty feet away, Nick had never seen his Captain like that before. Sean’s normally immaculate clothing was slightly disheveled. The shirt was bright teal which did wonderful things for the Captain’s dusky skin, and since the place was so hot the material was clinging to his magnificent upper body, more than half the buttons were open, Nick could see rather a lot of Sean’s beautifully sculpted chest. Nick broke eye contact and swallowed rather hard, then looked back up.

Christopher Lascelles recognized unrequited love when he saw it, in Sean’s gaze and in the beautiful blue-grey eyes that nailed Sean from twenty feet away. It was perfectly plain to Sean’s cousin that Sean and this beautiful so-far-unknown wanted each other. Equally apparent to Chris that his younger cousin was never going to do anything about it without help. Going on instinct that this was Sean’s Grimm, Chris had a plan.

Chris remained where he was on the landing, letting Sean draw level with him, he flung a companionable arm around his cousin’s neck, and drew him close. Planting a kiss on Sean’s startled lips. Sean’s hands went quite naturally to Chris’s waist, and the zauberbiest leaned in, pulling his half-zauberbiest cousin up close.

The few drinks (and Chris’ little potion) had loosened Sean up a lot, as Chris was certain they would, his cousin was relaxed with him, so Chris could take a few liberties. All in the cause of a tiny experiment, and maybe a good cause.

From the daggers-drawn glare that their exhibition was enticing from the pouty young man on the floor below, Chris deduced that his first impression was correct. The younger pretty wanted Chris’s very pretty cousin badly.

Chris gazed into his cousin’s slightly shocked, somewhat alcohol-dazed green eyes. “I thought we agreed that this wasn’t going to happen?” Said Sean.

“Can’t blame me for trying.” Chris grinned. “Besides, now I know where your interests actually lie.”

Sean froze, and the green eyes narrowed. “I don’t know what you mean.”

The shields were up in a flash, but Chris had been reading Sean since they were five and four, so he just gave his cousin the look.

Sean sighed. He should have known Chris would divine his interest in Nick, and recognize it for what it really was. He’d happily kept his feelings under the radar for over four years, now his graceless cousin might just put his foot right in it. On purpose.

“Since your pretty little Grimm friend looks about ready to explode or self-combust, I think we ought to get on down there.” Chris kept an arm firmly around Sean’s waist so he felt the flinch of surprise; call it devilment but he left his arm there, protecting his cousin. It was fairly obvious that Sean had suffered a lot and wasn’t getting much in the way of support from the people around him.

Making a point.

He had heard about the Grimm from his aunt, and he had to admit he was intrigued too. They reached the bottom of the stairs, and up close, the Grimm was gorgeous. He was also practically bursting with jealousy, especially when Chris slid his arm up from Sean’s waist, slung it around Sean’s neck and pulled his cousin firmly against his body.

Ignoring his very tiresome cousin when he chose to be like this was always the best course of action, so Sean addressed his detectives as though nothing was happening. “Burkhardt, Griffin, what are you doing here?”

Chris was amused to see that Burkhardt was still pouting, Griffin rolled his eyes at his partner and launched into an explanation to which Chris paid very little heed, choosing instead to inflame the Grimm, he leaned into Sean’s side, one finger caressing Sean’s powerful bicep muscle, directing his heavy-lidded gaze at Burkhardt.

Hank shot a glance at his partner, Nick looked ready to explode, their Captain looked ready to die of embarrassment on the spot, and the friend seemed about to spontaneously combust.

Sean was aware that he was more than slightly buzzed, he hadn’t meant to drink as much, and he was also well aware of Chris’s Machiavellian attempts to provoke Nick and his own body’s traitorous responses to Chris’s stimulation.

Nick looked at his stunning, handsome Captain and acknowledged for the first time since all of this began that he was more than a little attracted to Sean Renard. Like this, all warm and slightly sweaty from the club, his shirt more than half open, Nick being able to see more of the Captain’s gorgeous, tanned, lean-muscled, fit body… Nick wanted him so very, very badly.

So engaged in staring he never even noticed the look in Sean Renard’s eyes.

Chris did, and while it warmed his heart that Sean had found someone to love, he wasn’t convinced that the love was a two-way street. The way Chris saw it, Sean deserved someone who would love him for him, half-zauberbiest and all.


End file.
